Stand Alone
by OwlheadAthena
Summary: Robin will always be alone. Whether on missions, or in the world in general, there's no one there to catch him when he falls.
1. Chapter 1

**I got so, freaking, bored.**

**Then I watched 'Homefront' :D**

**ENJOY, FOOLS.**

**Disclaimer: **_**Eu am nimic, cretini. Nu frecaţi-l în**_** D: (I JUST SPOKE ROMANIAN TO YOU FOOLS. I AM SUPERIORRRRRRRRR! XD)**

**Kay. **

…

His teammates just don't get it.

There, he said it.

_No_, he's not implying he's better than them (Although he is in many, many ways); _no_, he's not saying their idiots.

They're just _**uită**_; _oblivious._

They –and other heroes- seem to strive for fearlessness and courage, but when their powers are taken away, their weapons, they're scared and weak. Because unlike him, they've never thought far enough to plan a back-up plan. They've never focused on their weaknesses and _enhanced _them so they don't affect or hurt them as much, because they're so _sure _of themselves, they don't seem to get that's they'll _always _be someone better than them.

Always.

…

Fearless doesn't mean being devoid of fear. It means being afraid, but still finding the strength to pull through in the end and make a miraculous entrance. Because that's what a Bat does.

Suck it up (Over time), and get over it (with the occasional moment of breaking down). You've got work to do. (But you do set aside one day every month to go to the cemetery)

…

They don't understand things the way Robin does. Because he knows what death is like; he's felt the feeling of someone you care about, _love_, die. He knows the true definition, the feeling you get where you can't even _think _about living life, because it just hurts to get out of _bed_. He knows how it feels to be hurt, not physically, but _mentally_, gaining scars that will never go away. Not completely.

He knows what it's like to have demons. He sees his everyday.

Every.

_Freaking._

_**DAY.**_

_**His demons, they're everywhere, never leaving, always nipping at his feet, watching from the shadows, waiting for just the right moment to STRIKE OUT and surround him and whisper in his ear and fill his head with anger and loss and despair and make it so that life isn't worth it and to give up and just surrender so he can finally just go to SLEEP-**_

'_SHUT. UP. ALL OF YOU, SHUT UP!'_

The argument in the mental link M'Gann set up stops immediately, and the rest of the team turn to face their youngest, who has his back to them. Robin's hands are in fists, but they're shaking. He takes a moment to compose himself, take a breath, before whirling around to face the others, his cape adding to the dramatic effect he has on the room right now.

"_Look-" _His voice is hard, but right now, Robin doesn't really give a crap. "Don't you guys get it? Don't you have _any _idea what being a hero is about?"  
>Immediately, his teammates –who can honestly all go die in a hole right now- open up their mouths to protest this stinging comment, but Robin plows right along.<p>

"We're heroes, I get that. You guys get that. But what you _don't _understand," The whites of Robin's mask narrow and there's a collective flinch. "Is that we're all part of a bigger thing. We make choices that'll affect younger generations of heroes in the long run. So we can't act like ostriches and stick our head in the dirt when our mentors _need _us."  
>It's true. His or her counter-parts in the Injustice League had kidnapped the Justice League, every single member. Gone, in a mission, one after another, like dominoes.<p>

Falling, falling, falling, just like a certain group of acrobats that a certain _bird _is- _was_ related to-

'_Stop.' _Now's not the time to remember his past. It just brings up more bad memories. And demons. (Many, many demons.)

Young Justice were the only superhero team in the world right now. They _had _to keep it together. So the world would be safe, and so maybe Robin would still have some sort of family still in existence.

Robin continued. "So what if we die tonight? I'd rather have died trying then died a coward. And we all have someone captured that we care about-" Conner snorted, but Robin ignored him. "And so, for the love of _God_, let's get off our lazy butts and _DO SOMETHING _for a change!"

Shame, everyone's glaring at him when he pretty much made one hell of a speech. Tough crowd.

Artemis breaks the silence. "How can you be so calm?" She cries, and throws her bow at the ground by Robin's feet. He looks down at it as she continues. "It's like you're a _robot _or something! And you're only human! What the _heck _can we do against a bung of _friggen' _super villains?"

The others pitch in their two-cents.

"The odds are not in our favor, my friend."

_'I am sorry' _**(**_**You're supposed to be **_**leader**_**, Kaldur.)**_**  
><strong>"They beat Superman. What can I- _we_, do?"

_'I'm afraid.' __**(Well, get 'fraid!)**_

"Dude, my Uncle Flash- they _caught him. _We don't stand a chance."

_'I-I can't do this. Not anymore.' __**(Bye)**_  
>"Robin…"<p>

_'I don't know what to do.' __**(Well, sucks to be you.)**_

One by one, each of Robin's teammates throw something to the ground at the numb Boy Wonder's feet, joining Artemis' bow- Part of a cape, some Water Bearers, a cowl, a red 'S' emblem torn from a shirt...

For a moment, Robin stares at the small pile of objects saying nothing as his world starts to crumble apart around him. _'Bruce… __**tati**__; the Justice League; my friends…'_

He wants to give up, now. He's alone, even after all these promises of people staying with him, he's _alone. _  
>Robin wishes he was back with his parents, in their warm circus trailer again. Just the three of them; a family.<p>

'_No one…'_

He glances back down at the pile, at the people the pile represents. He wants to say so, _so _much. Scream at them, beg, plead, maybe not even in English, but he can't. His throat is too clogged up.

He's alone.

He chokes out one last sentence though, because he has to tell them before he dies, because now he _knows _he's on a suicide mission. But it's for the last bit of his life, the one thing he _has _to hold onto: Super-heroing.

Three words is all he says. Barely a sentence, actually.

"You're. Not. Heroes." His voice comes out stronger than he expected, conveying the right amount of _Batman _into it, before he turns and stalks away. (_Batman. _Oh God, the thought of his father hurts so much which makes Robin _know _he's got to save him, or at least see him again so he can say thanks before they both die.)

He has a father and adopted family to save. So what if he dies trying?

Crime took away his innocence five years ago at the circus, so it's fitting it'll take _his _life now. The one soul it had lucked out on, the one it had missed.

Stalking past his friends, Robin ignores the looks on their faces: Shame, shock, anger, no difference. He never falters, just moving towards the doorway. Sure, on the inside he wants to cry and break down, but now is not the time. He's got some people to save

Plus, he's always wanted to kick Ra's Al Ghul in the crotch.

…

**Uh, slight attempt at humor on my part? 8? KAY THEN :D  
>But… um… angst. NOM NOM NOM. So yummy, it's a party in my tummy! God, I'm so tired…<strong>

**I'm so going to revisit this story later XD**

**REVIEW.**

**~OHA**


	2. Chapter 2

**ASDFGHJKL-You people are magical. I'm serious, are you sure you aren't wizards?**

**SIXTEEN reviews in less than 12 hours! Uh… HOLY **_**SHIZZZZZZZ **_**man! Holy Review Batman! Holy Atomic Mushroom, **_**Batman! **_**Holy **_**Sherlock Holmes, BATMAN-**_

**Uh… yeah. Kay then, I've officially lost my mind. And I'm stuck in the sixties! :D **

**Disclaimer: I own a Batman hat. :3 That's about it. :(**

**…**

He's drowning.

In more ways then one.

He wants air so freaking bad, not all this filthy water that's probably teeming with germs. He. Just. Wants. _Air._

So when his head is finally pulled out of that _God-awful _bucket (Though it's really like a tub, but who cares.) of water, he sucks in oxygen like it's the last time he'll ever breathe, which is probably true, since Robin's being held captive by the InJustice League, and every single super villain he knows is there, along with the rest of the world since his execution is going to be aired live.

_So_, not asterous. And cliche, but there's also a rushing in Robin's head: He's _failed. _It was a _trap_, he should've listened to his teammates, because the odds were against him from the start. Now they're just smacking him in the face. He was caught. He was wrong.

Part of him wants to die. Part of him wants to scream and shout profanities. Part of him is still the scared little child he's always been, brought to the surface, the Light.

He can feel Cheshire and Sensei's eyes on him, before his hair is grabbed by Bane and he's forced back into the bucket, with Luthor and Al Ghul also watching on the sidelines. Typical. Filthy rich geezers, not wanting to 'dirty their hands'.

Robin's mask protects his eyes like goggles in the bucket of water as he watches the bubbles of his life leave him. Gone. Just like that. Just like his parents. Disappearing and reappearing a moment later, on the other side of the river. Dead.

Now _he's _the one dying.

He's only human. If _Aqualad _was here, the Atlantean would have freed him in no time, and the day would've been saved.

Except no one is here except him and the tied up Justice League, who's watching the villains torture Robin right in front of them. If it wasn't for Black Canary's sound proof container that would ricochet her sonic scream right back at her, Robin had no doubt in his mind that the woman would've already broken free and kicked some _butt_.

Actually, any of the Leaguers would have done the same, since Robin's known all of them since he was about 8. They're all crazy protective of him, but none of them could even come _close _to Batman.

_'Daddy-Bats mode' _villains and heroes alike called a situation in when Batman was amazingly ticked. Usually because Robin or any other people Bruce knew and -secretly, he is the Batman- cared about was a whole lotta hurt came about. Some people said the screams of pain that came from the villains could be heard in _Canada. __**Canada.**_

Well, he is the Goddamn Batman, but Robin digresses.

At that moment, said Boy Wonder suddenly finds no air left in his lungs. Just water.

_Only _water.

_'Oh, no.'_

In response, he begins to thrash around in his panic, trying to break free, to _get away_, because now his lung's are on fire which makes no sense because he's _drowning _but now nothing's make sense because his mind if so foggy like someone stuffed cotton in it and he's so sleepy and he can't think straight and _IT. HURTS!__*****_

He goes limp.

Bubbles.

...

Up on the surface, on dry land, Batman is panicking too. He tries to hide it, but hi_s _his only son, the light to his dark, is _drowning _right in front of him and soon instead of a son he'll have a _corpse _and he'll be all _alone_ again with _another _body to bury right in the Wayne plot and also next to the boy's _first _parents-_Calm. Down._The rational part of Batman's mind screams these two words at him, and at once he becomes business. He's got to get out, and immediately he goes to his waist before scowling. Right, he'd been disarmed when he'd first been captured. But his _cowl._

Batman knows it sounds stupid, but the ears on his cowl aren't just for decoration.

.

_"Tata?"_

_Bruce looked up to see his newly adopted eight-year-old son and partner, Dick, standing in the shadows of the Bat cave nearby. "Yes, __micul meu pasăe?"_

_"What are th' little things on your head whn' you're Batman?" Mentally sighing at Dick's slight lisp when using English, even after all these months of practicing, Bruce knelt down to his son level's and met the little boy's big blue eyes._

_"They're like… my ears." At Dick's incredulous look, Bruce quickly explained. "You know how a regular bat has ears? Well, these are my ears." While explaining, Bruce pulled off his cowl -he was in his Batman suit- and pointed to said ears._

_Dick's eyes widened in realization. "_Oh. _Do you use them fer anythin' else?"_

_"What?"_

_"Can you, um… pick locks with them?"_

_"No. They're just for decoration." Immediately after saying this, Bruce felt stupid. _Batman _doesn't use decorations. That's stupid. Everything has to be necessary on his person. Everything matters. "You know, Dick, that gives me an idea. Wanna help?"_

_Immediately, Dick gave him a big grin, his blue eyes sparkling, before grabbing his adopted father by the hand and leading the older man through the cave, chattering excitedly._

_._

The memory hurt Bruce's chest a little, since his _meu pasăe_ had grown up over the years, but he stopped the emotions from coming through and set to work on his several pairs of handcuffs on his hands and feet. (_'Wow, a dozen handcuffs on my arms? I'm flattered.'_)

At that point, a scream sounds and Bruce snapped his head up to see his son's body go absolutely _limp._

_**NO!**_

_The world had ended. That's all Batman can think, because now every single thing he's ever cared about is **GONE**, just like that. He's never ever going to have a chance at happiness because no matter what, it gets **TAKEN AWAY FROM HIM** and now he knows that life hates him. His demons have caught up to him. They're over-powering him and dragging him down through the shadows, the shadows that were once a safe haven, an escape for him._

_Now that's gone, too. The Shadows have become his personal grave, the tunnel where there will **NEVER **be any light at the end._

_**He's drowning, just like Robin was.**_

_**...**_

_BOOM!_

All heads swivel to see a hole in the ceiling, with several familiar young faces surrounding it outside, looking absolutely furious.

"_NOW!" _Kaldur screams, and they all leap through the hole, ploughing and knocking down villain's along the way.

Absolute hell breaks loose.

In all the confusion, Bane had dropped the half-dead Boy Wonder in shock, before immediately being sucker-punched by Super Man and Boy.

Batman felt his cuffs come off by M'Gann's telepathic control, but his only thought is _'Dick' _as he rushes towards his son's body, dancing and dodging around villains and heroes being thrown around.

Apparently, not only Kid Flash, Aqualad, Artemis, Superboy and Miss Martian came. Batman saw out of the corner of his eye Red Arrow standing back to back with Green Arrow and Artemis shooting enemies with the speed he was originally named for. Harley Quinn flew past him, followed quickly by Supergirl and Wondergirl. Empress, a new hero, somersaulted by in her uniform, chased by some of T.O. Morrow's creations.

_Almost… there…_

Pushing aside Clark and Conner -both men hmphed at the rudeness- Bruce grabbed Dick and pulled the still boy into his arms. "_Micul pasăe?_"

For one long, terrifying moment, Dick didn't respond. Bruce felt his resolve crumbling, his hands starting to shake. His son was dead. Oh God oh God oh God oh God oh God oh God oh God oh-

Then, a weak cough, barely heard above the dying battle surrounding the two of them, but it cuts through Bruce's head and thoughts like a knife.

His son was alive.

Bruce also heard Dick's next few words, as did a good chunk of the superhero population who had formed a ragged circle around them. "Dad? Did we win?"

Bruce managed a slight smile. _"Da."_

_…_

**HAHAHAHHA CRAPPY ENDING YOU ARE ALL NOW GROANING MWAHAHAHAHAAHHAHA :D**

**Kay. Some (all) of you guys wanted another chapter, so I wrote one. And mainly so I can imagine a younger Dick in foot pajamas… :3**

*** Um, yeah. Okay, so when I was about 8 or so I nearly drowned. Bleh, I can still remember throwing up seaweed DX Anyway, that kind of traumatized me so I've never really forgotten how it felt to nearly die. Also, it DID feel like my lungs were on fire? How the heck does that even work? But yeah. I hate swimming now -_-'**

**REVIEW. (please :3)  
>~OHA <strong>


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